Basket-grate for open fireplaces.



PATENTE D. FEB. 28; 1905. F. A. HIGKSON.

BASKET GRATE FOR OPEN FIREPLAGES.

APPLICATION FILED D301 21, 1903.

Hilllllll f O t n e v n I Witnesses Attorney Patented February 28, 1905.

PATENT tutnmu FREDERICK A. HICKSON, OF ATlLANTlA, (:ilCORt-llA.

BASKET-GRATE IF-DFR OPEN FIREPLAGEQ.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 783,95 1, dated February 28, 1905.

' Application filed December 21, 1903. Serial No. 186,086.

Be it known that I, FREDERICK A. lTlICKSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Atlanta. in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Basket Grates for Open Fireplaces; and Ido declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention is an improved basket-grate for open fireplaces, open-front stoves, and the like; and it consists in the construction and combination of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

One object of my invention is to provide an adjustable basket-grate which is longitudinally extensible at will to enable it to lit a fireplace or stove of any width.

A further object of my invention is to provide an adjustable grate of this character which is formed of detachable sections, either of which may be readily duplicated when burned out or broken and used in connection with the others at slight cost.

A further object of my invention is to provide an adjustable grate composed of separable sections which may be manufactured at very slight cost and which is of a weight not exceeding that of an ordinary grate of usual size.

A further object of my invention is to effect improvements in the construction of the bars of the grate-sections to enable the gratabars to retain ashes on their outer sides to retard the burning out of the grate-bars.

A further object of my invention is to provide a grate of this character with a bracket which may be swung outwardly from the same or inwardly over the lire at will, which bracket is adapted to support a cooking or other utensil for use on the grate.

A further object of my invention is to provide a grate of this character comprising a pair of longitudinally-adj1.1stable telescopically-related front sections and a grate-section to form the bottom of the grate, said grate-sections having coengaging devices to lock them together at any desired adjustment.

in the accompanying drawings, Figurel is a front elevation of a basket-grate embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is-a longitudinal sectional view of the same, taken on the plane indicated by the line (1. (601" Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the same, taken on the plane indicated by the line 1)!) of Fig. .1. Fig. i is a detail transverse sectional view of one of the grate-bars.

In the embodiment of my invention here shown the sections 1 2 of the grate, which form the front thereof, are provided. respectively, with longitmlinal bars or arms 3 -11, which are slidably related, so that the said front sections may be telescopically disposed for longitudinal movement to widen or narrow the grate as may be required to enable it to lit in the lireplace or open front stove. The said bars 3 a of the said grate-sections are provided on their front and rear sides with vertical bars, forming keepers 5 (3, respectively, which keepers prevent lateral movement of the said overlapping slidably-related bars and serve to keep the frontsections in line with each other under all conditions. The front keepers 5 are formed integrally with the bars a, cross the spaces between, and bear against the front sides of the bars 3. The lower keepers are formed integrally with the bars 2-; and bear againstthe frontsides of the bars 4. The kee ers 6 are similarly related to the cmitiguous parts and aroplaced upon the rear sidesol" the bars. In practice each front section constitutes asingle casting. llo\\'ever, ltlO notlimitmysell in this particular, as the sections of the gratemay be made of any suitable material and in any suitable manner. Each of the front sections is formed with a plurality of grate-bars 7, which are longitudinal] y recessed or concaved on their upper sides, as at 8, to adapt them to retain ashes for covering the said grate'bars to protect them from the effect of the lire and retard the burning out of the same. The said front sections are further pro vided at their ends 9 on their rear sides with upper and lower hooks l0 11, the lower hooks being somewhat longer than the upper hooks and the said hooks serving, in cminection with suitable devices with which the fireplace or stove may be provided, to support the basket- .vided on two of its upper curved bars 17 with grate in the required position. In practice these hooks are also cast integral with the respective grate-sections. The latter are provided on their inner or rear sides with vertically-disposed locking-ribs 12.

In connection with the pair of front sections hereinbefore described I also employ a grate-section 13, which forms the bottom of the grate and which is of suitable dimensions. The end portions of this grate-section 13 are supported on the bars 7 of the front sections, and the said section 13 is provided on its front edge with a series of adjusting and locking notches 24,adapted to receive the locking-ribs 12 of the front sections, said ribs and said notches forming coengaging devices which look the grate-bottom section to the gratefront sections'at any longitudinal adjustment of the latter. The section 2 is provided with a rearwardly-extending lug 1 1, which is here shown as cast integral with its lower bar 4:, which lug bears on the front side of the gratebottom section 13 at the center thereof and prevents the latter from warping upwardly. The front sections 1 2 are further provided at the rear ends of their bars 7 with upstanding lugs 15, which bear against the rear side of the grate-bottom section 13 and coact with the lug 1 1 to retain the said grate-bottom section in place. The front sides of these lugs 15are inclined, as shown, to facilitate the placing of the grate-bottom in place and its removal from the front sections, and the said lugs 15 are provided with horizontal openings 16, through which suitable pins, nails, or the like may be passed when the grate-bottom section is in place to project from the front sides of the said lugs 15 and bear on the gratebottom section to retain the latter in position.

The front section 1 is here shown as prooutstanding lugs 18, which may be integral and cast therewith, and the said lugs are provided with vertically-alining openings. A bracket 19 for supporting a cooking or other vessel, and which maybe of the form here shown or of any other suitable form, is provided with a vertical depending cylindrical 1 supporting-stem 20,which is adapted to fit in the openings of said lugs to form a pivotal connection between the bracket and the-said grate-front section,which will enable the said bracket to be swung rearwardly over the fire or swung forwardly to project from the grate, as may be desired.

It is thought the operation and advantages of my improved grate-basket will'be fully understood from the foregoing description.

I do not desire to limit myself to the precise construction and combination of devices herein shown and described, as it is evident that modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A grate comprising a pair of front sections telescopically connected together for longitudinal adjustment and having rearwardlyextending supporting devices provided with upwardly-extending lugs, in combination with a bottom section detachable from the lirstmentioned sections, bearing on the supporting devices of the said first-mentioned sections and retained in place thereon by the said lugs.

2. A grate comprising a pair of detachable front sections having means to telescopically connect them together for longitudinal adjustment and each having a supporting device and a vertically-disposed locking-rib on its rear side, in combination with a grate-bottom section disposed on the supporting devices of the first-mentioned sections and having notches coacting with the locking-ribs of the first-mentioned sections to lock the bottom section and the first-mentioned sections together at any desired longitudinal adjustment of the firstmentioned sections.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK A. HIGKSON. \Vi tnesses:

J. A. W ILLSON, JNO. T. MEANY. 

